Electric motors used in power tools—by way of example, brushless direct current (“DC”) motors—typically require connection to three heavy gauge “phase” wires that supply the high electrical current that drives the motor. In many existing power tools, this connection is often accomplished by soldering the phase wires to a printed circuit board (“PCB”) inside the motor. Traces on the PCB then conduct the high electrical current from the phase wires to soldered termination points where stator windings of the motor are coupled to the PCB. Servicing the motor in such designs may be difficult because de-soldering the phase wires from the PCB can be time consuming and risks damage to the PCB.
Other power tool designs have provided the connection between the phase wires and the stator windings of the motor via solder “lugs” that are mounted to an end of the motor. While such designs may improve serviceability, they have also increased the footprint of the motor (and, hence, the size of the power tool). First, the solder lugs in such designs add length to the motor assembly. Second, because the solder lugs in such designs have typically been spaced evenly around a circumference of the motor, one or more of the phase wires must often be routed around the motor for connection to the corresponding solder lug(s).